When Jay Larsen, the chief engineer on MH370 search vessel GO Phoenix, needed a new technician, his 20-year-old son Kolter sprang to mind.
“He’s an electrical engineer genius and we asked him to come along,” he said.
“He’s been a very solid member. I’m proud of him.
“I don’t know that we can understand the weight of what we’re doing honestly.
“We’ve all experienced losses close to us and we’re out here trying our hardest.”
Jay Larsen and his young son are among the crew of the GO Phoenix, which has spent weeks searching for missing flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean more than 2000km off the WA coast.
The ship is now in Fremantle harbor while the crew takes a break and the ship’s supplies and fuel are replenished.
Mr Larsen said his family knew what it was like have a loved one in an air accident because his father had been in a helicopter crash that claimed six lives, but not his father’s.
“Personally I’ve had an air accident in my family where we didn’t know the true answer,” he said.
“So we understand the gravity of this.”
Kolter Larson’s young age took the Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein by surprise.
The minister joined the crew onboard the ship to thank them for their efforts so far.
He was shocked to see such a young face among the seasoned crew, but told the 20-year-old he was happy to see him and said the world was watching.
“I was very intimated, but it was a cool experience talking to such an important person,” Kolter said.
